Perhaps no one engages in hypocrisy more than a member of the media elite. Sooner or later, all of the “woke” societal causes championed by the press will boomerang back to their detriment, as was the case with former MSNBC host Chris Matthews. On Friday’s Real Time, HBO host Bill Maher granted mercy to the ex-Hardball host and excused Matthews's improper behavior.
To dovetail on his panel’s previous conversation regarding high-profile White House exits, Maher commented on the abrupt retirement announcement from Matthews:
Speaking of getting shit canned, a friend of mine lost his job this week, Chris Matthews. Wanted to give him a shout-out because I will miss him and a lot of other people will miss him too. You know, I thought we would talk about it because it's about- and MSNBC used to run this thing, this is who we are, well I didn't like who you were this week…
It is a rarity for members of the liberal media to criticize their own, yet that is precisely what Maher did as he rebuked MSNBC for its treatment of Matthews. Maher took time to go down the list of Matthews’ indiscretions (not included were any of his outlandish and disgraceful remarks on President Trump and his supporters):
I just want to go through some of the horrible things that Chris Matthews did. First he made an analogy -- I'm going to read it fast because I don't even understand what the insult was. He was talking about Bernie Sanders leading Nevada…he was interviewing Elizabeth Warren about what might Bloomberg said to a woman about maybe, it was a joke or maybe he didn't say it and Chris says to Elizabeth Warren, you believe that the former mayor of New York said that to a pregnant employee, you believe he's that kind of person? Do you believe that he is lying?... Again, they said he was mean to her… This show is called Hardball.
The show’s most provocative comment came courtesy of Maher, as he justified Matthews’ supposed inappropriate advancements towards females:
And then his final thing was yes, he said some things that are kind of creepy to women. You know, guys are married for a million years, they want to flirt for two seconds.
Transcript below:
HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher
03/06/20
10:19:04 PM
BILL MAHER: Speaking of getting shit canned, a friend of mine lost his job this week, Chris Matthews. Wanted to give him a shout-out because I will miss him and a lot of other people will miss him too. You know, I thought we would talk about it because it's about- and MSNBC used to run this thing, this is who we are, well I didn't like who you were this week. And I don't think a lot of people who work there like this either and I think this cancel culture is a cancer on progressivism. Liberals always have to fight a two front war. Republicans only have to fight the Democrats. Democrats have to fight the Republicans and each other.
CAITLIN FLANAGAN: Your own lunatic-
MAHER: I just want to go through some of the horrible things that Chris Matthews did. First he made an analogy -- I'm going to read it fast because I don't even understand what the insult was. He was talking about Bernie Sanders leading Nevada. “I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940 and the General calls up Churchill and says it's over and Churchill says, how can it be? You've got the greatest army in Europe, how can it be over?" Obviously, he's a Nazi. But he apologized for that so I hope the victims got some closure.
FLANAGAN: First mistake, apologize.
MAHER: Then he mistook Jamie Harrison, who we have had on the show, for Senator Tim Scott. They are both African-Americans. He thought one was the other so plainly he is a Klansman. Oh, this is terrible, he was interviewing Elizabeth Warren about what might Bloomberg said to a woman about maybe, it was a joke or maybe he didn't say it and Chris says to Elizabeth Warren, you believe that the former mayor of New York said that to a pregnant employee, you believe he's that kind of person? Do you believe that he is lying? I just want to make sure you are clear about this. Why would lie just to protect himself? Again, they said he was mean to her. First of all, I got fired for doing what I do on a show called "Politically incorrect." This show is called "Hardball." This sounds like every question Chris has asked and I hated being interviewed by Chris because he would ask you a question, you would start to answer and then he would keep talking. Because he had so many thoughts. I'd like some more people on TV with thoughts. A lot of people couldn't interrupt themselves because they don't have a thought that the producer is inputting in their ear. And then his final thing was yes, he said some things that are kind of creepy to women. You know guys are married for a million years, they want to flirt for two seconds.
